A Romancing SaGa: Katarina's Story
by Nicholai Sven Maxwell
Summary: Romancing SaGa 3 was a classic RPG for the SNES, though, unfortunately, it was never released in English for those who don't speak Japanese. It had some unforgettable characters, and this is the story of Katarina, a vassal in the house of Loanne.
1. Opening

A Romancing SaGa: Katarina's Story

Romancing SaGa 3 was a classic RPG for the SNES, though, unfortunately, it was never released in English for those who don't speak Japanese. It had some unforgettable characters, though sometimes failed to elaborate on their stories.

Katarina, a vassal of the Loanne Kingdom, has lost the Masquerade, a legendary relic of the Holy King that was entrusted to her. Now, she must travel the world in search of it, to regain her honor and end her exile. How will she manage to survive this journey?


	2. Chapter 1: Friendship in Exile

Chapter 1: Friendship in Exile

Katarina stood alone on the docks of Loanne Harbor. Her newly cropped violet hair fluttered about her face, and her new travel clothes seemed so odd to her. She felt bare without her long, elegant tresses, which had once framed her beautiful face. Being a lady in Loanne Castle and a vassal to the crown, she had always been dressed in the finest clothes, and had hardly ever seen the hardship of a long journey. Her epee rested in its scabbard quietly, as its feel was not comforting as had been the Masquerade, that wondrous blade. It had been hers once, and now its loss had left her exiled from her homeland, until she could reclaim it.

Her eyes were distant, staring out across the ocean, wondering where to begin her search. She had only her equipment in her possession, no friends, and a mandate from Lord Mikhail himself that she must reclaim the Masquerade or live in exile.

"Mikhail…" she whispered to herself, as the sea breeze rushed across her face. Was it love, or was it respect that was held between them? Sometimes, she wasn't sure. The man who she cared for more than anything had just exiled her from his lands as if she meant nothing to him. Her eyes hardened a bit as she stared, and her resolve was strengthened. She would reclaim her blade. She MUST reclaim it. For the love of Mikhail, and for her honor as a vassal of Loanne.

"Passage to Pidona, please," she spoke softly to the sailor at the docks.

"But, what would a lass of your caliber be doing leaving Loanne by herself?" he inquired back, his tone that of a concerned friend.

"Well, I am not at liberty to tell, but it is of utmost importance, sir," her head hanging low as she spoke. The shame of having the Masquerade stolen lowered spirits at the thought of it.

"Well, whatever it is, it must be mighty important to ya. Most people are content to stay in Loanne, though those who seek the big city life often head for Pidona, it bein' the center of trade n' all. Have a nice journey, miss," he said with a smile.

She boarded the ship, keeping her eyes away from his gaze, and huddled near the mast, with her knees tucked up by her face. The misery that she had endured in the last few days had been horrific. The loss of the Masquerade, her exile, the loss of her title, and now the shame of being pitied by everyone she met. She cried a little, promising herself that she wouldn't cry for the rest of her journey. She would be sure of that.

She stood after her tears had stopped flowing and had been dried, and she walked over to the edge of the ship, and stared at her reflection in a nearby barrel of fresh water. She sniffled a little bit, and looked at herself. She had been quite pretty before she left, with her long, violet hair in an upsweep, with little side strands framing her face. She had worn the loveliest gowns of silk and lived as noble, but that life was over for now. She had hacked off her hair in an attempt to disguise herself, and donned the garb of a common traveler. Of course, her beauty had not been completely decimated, and it was still evident how lovely she was, but the thought of what she had become was quite horrifying to her. She noticed out of the corners of her eyes how the sailors stared at her when she walked past, and she realized she was still quite fetching, but at least her disguise was working. Lady Katarina of Loanne had just become Katarina, an adventurer.

"Excuse me, miss, but are you headed to Pidona?" A shy girl appeared behind her, her hands clasped behind her, and her head lowered. She was a pale girl, maybe 16 years or so, with long green hair, that was voluminous and full, restrained from her face by a yellow ribbon. The dress she wore was yellow also, and rustled in the breeze. Her posture hinted at her shyness, and she fidgeted a little, as if she was slightly afraid.

"Yes, I am…Why do you ask?" Katarina said politely.

The girl replied to her with a soft voice, but it was quite appreciative, "Well, I am visiting a friend of mine in Pidona, but I am not familiar with the town at all, and I am very scared of getting lost." The girl raised her head to look at Katarina. "Oh, and my name is Sarah. Sarah Carson…Might I ask yours? I haven't met a friendly face since I parted with my companions in Loanne."

Katarina smiled, "Of course, Sarah. My name is Katarina…" her voice trailed off, hesitating to speak her full name.

Sarah gave a shy smile, her pearly, perfect teeth shining through and illuminating her face with a serene gentleness that had been hidden by her nervous demeanor. Katarina returned the smile, her heart lightened a bit by her new found friend. Maybe her journey wouldn't be as lonely as she had guessed it would. She watched as Sarah turned away to watch the waves, and felt the aura of kindness that Sarah exuded, and realized it was certainly peculiar, like nothing she had ever felt before. Katarina wouldn't dwell on it, though, and she simply sat down on the deck of the ship, and enjoyed the rest of her trip to Pidona.


	3. Chapter 2: Merchant's Heart

Chapter 2: Merchant's Heart

Sarah and Katarina arrived safely in the port town of Pidona. It was essentially the center of trade for the world, as it was on an island that centrally located between most of the major cities of the world, and contained a good system of commerce. Sarah was excited to finally reach Pidona, but her calm, withdrawn manner barely changed. She quietly spoke to Katarina,

"Thomas is supposed to live in one of the larger houses in Pidona. Apparently he is quite wealthy. I've only ever known him as my kind, loving friend Thomas, but he comes from quite a shrewd family…maybe he is different around others?" her voice quivered with a lack of self-confidence.

Katarina gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure he is the same Thomas you have always known. Wealth and reknown do not always affect people poorly," she spoke with a comforting tone.

"Oh, Katarina…I don't know how I'd fare without you here to help me." Sarah took another deep breath, her heart filling with a newfound love for Katarina. Sarah had always had her sister, Ellen, there to help, but she had never had an intimate friend of this nature, a person she could tell anything. "You have been a greater friend in the few moments since I met you than I have had in my whole life. Thank you…" Sarah then ran to Katarina and gave her a big hug, throwing her arms around her neck, the small figure shaking with happiness. Sarah hadn't ever really felt this great in her life.

Katarina spoke when Sarah finished her hug, "Well, Sarah, I guess we had best find Thomas' house."

"Yes, we should," Sarah responded happily. They navigated the streets of Pidona, and Katarina marveled at its size, the buildings, and every facet of the city. Sarah saw Katarina ogling at and giggled girlishly. "Katarina, is it really so spectacular? Had you never left Loanne before?" Sarah spoke with a smile, as she twisted her hair around one of her small fingers.

"Oh…sorry…I guess I just got caught up in taking in the sights. Pidona really is quite a metropolis compared to Loanne. I hadn't ever gone farther than Mules before."

"Oh…sorry for laughing at you. I just never thought Pidona was that incredible before…but I guess everyone experiences things differently," Sarah replied. She gave a slight shrug and a friendly smile, and then looked about for Thomas' house. She gave a squeal of glee when she spotted it. "He told me it would be the biggest house in Pidona! I think that must be it!" She turned to Katarina and pointed at the large house in the distance.

She broke into a giddy run towards the house, and Katarina had to begin an all-out sprint to catch up. Sarah slid to a stop in front of the building, almost falling from the momentum. She quickly composed herself, fluffing her hair, and checking to make sure the ribbon was still in place, and dusted her skirt. "Do I look alright, Katarina?" She asked with an excited tone. Her eyes sparkled with glee as she looked at her.

"Yes, you look lovely, Sarah," Katarina spoke kindly.

Sarah smiled happily at this. "Thank you, Katarina. I just want to impress Thomas when I see him. Let me go first when we enter, please?" She didn't even wait for an answer. She quickly stepped inside, trying her hardest to look dignified.

As she opened the door she spied a gruff looking old man, sitting at a table, doing something she could not yet see. "Hello, sir. Is Thomas here?" she asked, her tone having gone from girlish to mature. She seemed to have aged a few years in the moments since she entered the house, and Katarina stood just a step inside the door, watching her.

"Yes…Thomas is here…he's in his room. May I ask who is calling for him?" He spoke, his voice deep and gruff, the polite words obviously masking his true feelings. He seemed to be quite a miserly curmudgeon, with very poor social skills.

"Sarah Carson…a friend of his," She replied, undaunted by his manner. "May I go back to see him?"

"Yes…you may," the man spoke while returning to his chair.

As Sarah passed, she saw the man was counting money, hunched over it like a guard dog. Katarina strode on past, following Sarah and occasionally sending a disdainful glance back at the miserly man.

Sarah walked the hallway in a daze, staring at everything. Thomas was obviously quite well off. Paintings lined the walls, and the walls were painted and decorated in a delightfully tasteful manner. She passed door after door, but then she finally heard Thomas' voice from within one room. Sarah perked at the sound.

"Thomas…? Thomas!" She excitedly thrust open the door and ran towards him. He barely had a chance to turn around from his desk and open his arms to receive her hug. "Thomas! I didn't know when I'd see you again!" Sarah exclaimed excitedly.

"It-it's nice to see you too, Sarah." Thomas replied. Thomas was a handsome young man in his late teens or early twenties with dirty blonde hair. It was pulled back into a stylish, albeit bushy ponytail at the base of his neck. He was dressed in fairly well tailored clothes, with a faded gold colored shirt, darker, olive pants, and a fine maroon cape wrapped around him. He had a charming smile, and the twinkling eyes of a businessman.

He held his embrace with Sarah for a few moments, and then released it to speak with her. "Sarah…are you going to introduce me to your friend?" He asked matter-of-factly.

"Oh, excuse me, Thomas. This is Katarina. I met her in Mules before I came to Mules, and she has helped me quite a bit. I would be lost without her." Thomas eyed Katarina, scanning her features.

"I do believe I recognize you from somewhere…though I can't place my finger on it." Katarina nervously looked Thomas in the eyes, afraid that he might realize who she really was.

"I don't believe I've ever met you before." She knew she was lying to complete stranger, but she figured at this point it would be more advantageous for her to lay low and stay anonymous. "Nice to meet you, Thomas. I do believe Sarah here is quite excited to see you."

At this, Sarah shot a gentle smile towards Katarina, and then to Thomas, her skin going from pale white to a flush pink. Katarina and Thomas laughed jovially, but kindheartedly, at this, and Thomas offered to eat supper with them later, and let them stay at his house for the night. "I'm sorry I can't stay now, but I do have some prior arrangements at the moment. Excuse me, both of you."

Thomas stood up quickly, and gathered what he had been working with in a bundle, and walked away briskly. His tone was unfamiliar and distant, as if he too was hiding something. Sarah was suspicious from the second he opened his mouth, and quickly confronted Katarina. "Kat, do you think he isn't telling the whole truth? I have a feeling that, for the first time, Thomas isn't telling me everything. I now want to know what he is hiding, if it's anything, more than ever, just because I am thinking of it." She had an exasperated look on her face as she spoke, and the normally composed young girl had a somewhat urgent look on her face.

"Calm down, Sarah…I am sure it is nothing big." Katarina felt so matronly in that moment. So adult and refined. She was barely twenty-three herself, yet she felt like a parent to young Sarah. She gave herself a mental slap for even thinking that way. Katarina realized that she had probably felt the same way about Princess Monica, and she recognized this situation quite well. Just as she had aided Princess Monica in escaping to warn Mikhail and save herself, she was now aiding another young girl in distress. Maybe she would spend her entire life being a heroine, helping others, though sacrificing personal happiness. That was the way she had been her entire life. As a vassal, she was a protector of the throne, a lady in waiting to Monica, and guardian of the Masquerade. Her youth was spent being the selfless one. Someone without the trials and tribulations of adolescence. She had skipped that part entirely…gone straight from childhood to adulthood.

After her little reflection on her life, she snapped out of it and decided she would help Sarah.

"Alright, Sarah. Let's follow him. I figure that is the easiest way." She took Sarah by the hand, and the walked rapidly out of the house, only pausing briefly to bid the old man farewell. He responded with a polite grunt and a scowling glance. They were off.

Pidona's size made it tough enough to navigate, but at least Thomas was not far when they exited the house. He was trying hard not to look suspicious, walking only slightly faster than normal, but he was always glancing back, trying to keep anyone from following him.

"What is he doing, Kat?" Sarah asked nervously. "He seems so…jumpy. Not the Thomas I know at all."

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough, Sarah. Just hold on…" Katarina ran on the tips of her feet, her pointed and heeled boots touching as little ground as possible to make less noise. She held Sarah's hand tightly as they scrambled, and Sarah took on a rag doll state, moving only when Katarina did, and flailing about like a leaf in the wind when they ran. She scrambled frantically to keep her balance, as Katarina's agility was something that she could not even compare to. It was obvious Katarina was trained in this sort of thing, though Sarah had no idea how.

Within a few minutes of following, they had reached the edge of the city, and Thomas was slipping out of the light and into the dark, shadowing alleys that led to the slums.

"What on earth is he doing, Kat! He should know slums of any kind are dangerous! Why, there are thieves, beggars, murderers, and criminals! All of them just waiting to ambush someone rich like Thomas. How on earth could he just wander in there?" Sarah was having a hissy fit by this time.

She was obviously very concerned for Thomas' safety, and his whole going into danger thing was throwing her over the edge.

The slums were quite decrepit and foul, even for slums. Back in the day of the Holy King, this part of Pidona had been bustling and fine, guarding the ruins of a great castle that had once been there. Now, it had been reduced to a hideout of those wanted by the Divine King Dynasty, and those too poor to live anywhere else. Thomas slipped down some stairs, and into a small house nestled in a corner of the slums. Katarina and Sarah hurried after him, rushing to the door. They tried to peek through the broken windows, but could not see anything at all, so they opened the door, and there was Thomas, with a man, a bedridden woman, and several small children.


	4. Chapter 3: Of Lost Children and Health

Chapter 3: Of Lost Children and Health

Thomas turned and looked surprised to see the two of them standing in the doorway.

"Oh…Sarah, Katarina…how did you find this place?" He asked with a truly inquisitive tone. "Most people are too scared to journey into the slums at all, let alone this far."

"Well…I mean…we followed you, Thomas. I was really worried about you. You seemed so antsy, and I wanted to help,"

Sarah sputtered out, "I am sorry we had to spy on you…" "All is forgiven, Sarah. I should have just told you the truth and let you come with me. I kind of slipped off after you came all this way to visit."

Thomas spoke sincerely. "Anyway, this is my dear friend Sharl," he gestured to the man standing next to him. "And this is his wife, Muse."

"Hello…" the bedridden woman spoke, with a voice as light and flowery as a spring morning, "Welcome to our home…" her voice drifted off as she broke into a series of coughs, each one sending violent shakes into her tiny frame. She was a petite woman, with long, flowing hair of light blue. She was dressed in a green nightdress, and her skin was the pale white of one who rarely saw the sun. She greatly resembled a porcelain doll.

"I am sorry for my wife's state, but she has been quite sick recently," spoke Sharl. He was a tall, brawny man, with a shock of white hair and a yellow sleeveless shirt and muddy colored slacks. Katarina glanced at him when he spoke, and noticed a badly injured arm and hand. He was obviously crippled by some injury.

"Anyway, welcome to our home, ladies." He gave a kind smile to them, and returned to his wife's side.

"Oh, Sharl and Muse, these are my friend, Sarah and Katarina." Thomas spoke up, introducing the two of them.

"Nice to meet you," Muse said with a smile on her face. Two small children were playing on the floor behind Muse's bed. They looked quite happy, though they were dressed somewhat shoddily.

"Oh, I came here to give some money to Sharl and Muse. They need some help right now, what with their orphans and Muse's medicine. Don't worry…I was just stopping by. I can give you a tour of the city n…" Before he could finish, Thomas was interrupted by a tiny girl rushing inside, panting for breath.

"Sharl…SHARL!" she cried.

"What is it, Mitch?" he asked with a concerned look on his face.

"Sharl…Gon went in the Devil Palace and got trapped by monsters…Sharl, ya gotta help him!"

"Don't worry, Mitch, we will help him. I'm sorry I can't visit longer, but I have to go help Gon. Stay here and wait with Muse and the others. Thomas, will you help me?" Sharl spoke with a sense of urgency while grabbing a spear from the corner.

"Yes, of course, Sharl," he turned to the girls, "I'm sorry I can't give you that tour now, this has come up."

"Don't worry about it, Thomas," Katarina said kindly, "Hey, why don't we just help you? I don't think we have anything better to do."

Sharl spoke up. "That would be great, miss. Any help will be appreciated."

"Uh…are you sure about this, Kat? I mean…I can't fight at all…I'm useless to you…" Sarah said with a sense of despondence.

"You know that's not true, Sarah, and if things get dangerous, I will protect you." Katarina said with a reassuring tone.

"Alright…let's go. I will be fine." She said in return.

"Quickly now!" said Sharl with the voice of a commander.

Sharl led them into the northern part of the slums, and towards an eerily dark ruin of a castle. The slums grew sparser here, as if the original houses had intentionally been built farther away, and almost no one was seen nearby.

"That must be the Devil Palace," Sarah said plainly.

"Yes, it is…I don't know why the children wondered there anyway, but it is now a monster nest and a ruin of great mystery. It was abandoned so long ago, no one remembers what purpose it had." Sharl replied.

It was true, though. The palace had been visibly eroded by time and weather, as most of the turrets and towers had been reduced to brick piles and most of the once glorious stained glass windows had been shattered.

"Quite a spooky place indeed…" Katarina spoke, her voice trailing off.

They continued walking, winding up stairs and through courtyards until they finally reached the large wooden doors, which had begun to rot away. They stepped inside, and immediately Katarina noticed the immense number of goblins in the main hall. The room was simply crawling with them. They had small grayish humanoid bodies, and wore only red berets on their heads and green shoes on their feet. Their features were gnarled and repulsive, and their greedy eyes darted about, looking for treasures to salvage.

"I take it we will have to fight them, Sharl." Thomas spoke with a hard tone, monotonous and dull.

"Yes, ready yourselves." He brought his spear up, and Thomas drew his bow from beneath his cape. He grasped an arrow from the hidden quiver and knocked it. Katarina, in turn, drew her epee from its sheath, and took a charging stance. Left alone, Sarah had nothing with which to fight, and thus grabbed a wooden pole from the rubble, joining her comrades.

"Sarah…are you sure you can fight?" Katarina asked worriedly.

Sarah replied with an unsure tone, "No…but I want to help, so I must try." She clasped her makeshift staff tightly, and readied for Sharl's signal. Sharl tapped his spear on the wooden floor, and all of them charged the group of goblins.

The goblins were practically a small army, numbering nearly 30, but they were weak by themselves and would be easy to eradicate if they could not band together. Sharl made the first move, thrusting his spear through the chest of the nearest goblin, its little body convulsing in a quick death. Katarina was not far behind and jabbed quickly into two of the little devils that tried to rush her. One thrust laid them both to waste, the bodies forming a tiny heap. Thomas was quick with his bow, and shot three consecutive arrows, the shafts passing through the puny bodies of the goblins. He even spitted two of them on one arrow in a trick shot, leaving him proud of his accomplishment, but no less aware of the other goblins. Sarah tried to join in the killing, and swung her pole wildly into a group of the creatures. The blow was fierce, and knocked them all out cold, but she lost her balance from the ferocity of the throw and fell to the floor. Seeing their chance, 5 goblins ran at her, knowing they could easily overpower her, but Katarina held true to her vow and came to her rescue, her epee parting the crowd by spitting some of them upon it. Sarah stood up quickly to gain an advantage again, and brought her pole down fiercely, cracking the skull of the final goblin. She smiled at Katarina, partly to thank her, and partly to show her excitement at actually helping the battle.

During Sarah's first kill, Sharl and Thomas had mopped up the remainder of the goblins, their corpses strewn across the ground in a helter skelter pattern. Sharl sent a smile at Katarina and Sarah as he wiped his brow of the sweat that had gathered during the strenuous foray, and he spoke bluntly.

"Let's be leaving now…Gon is still inside."

The group followed him anxiously, watching carefully for any more goblins that may have been lurking, but found none.

Then came the stairs.

Sharl finally stood at the top of a massive spiraling staircase, spanning a good 4 stories into the ground, going deeper and deeper like a great hole in the earth.

"I assume he's somewhere down there…" Thomas said wearily, walking ahead of Sharl, his bow relaxed in his grip and his mood less than cheery. The battle had tired him, what with the frequent nocking of arrows and dodging the puny but fierce fists of goblins. His slouching posture was noticeable even as he grew more distant from them.

For some reason, the rest of the group had just stood at the top of the steps. Katarina began to walk briskly, breaking into a run, pausing only to gesture that the others come with her, and they caught up with Thomas after a great deal of hustling.

Sarah's eyes were still bright with excitement from the last battle, though it had long since passed and they were now making the horrible trudge to the base of stairs. She happily smiled at everyone, though they were focused on the walk, and not on the suddenly buoyant Sarah that was following them, with pep in her step and a smile on her face.

Sharl groaned as they finally reached the bottom of the staircase, and saw two doors on the left or right side of the case.

"Well, should we split up, or just try one door at a time? His tone was a bit weak, denoting how tired he was.

"I believe we should stay together…I mean, it was tough enough fighting those goblins as a group…if they ambush us while we're split, there's little chance we'd be able to stop them." Katarina's cool judgment was shining through again, and SHE led them into the left door, not Sharl.

The girl's soft purple hair fluttered as she entered a room, a sudden draft sweeping around them and rustling their clothing. She stepped apprehensively, checking for goblins, and then walked forward, her ears piqued. But, she did not hear goblins moving, but rather, soft cries and sniffles. A smile came to her face as she darted around the corner and up a small set of stairs, vaulting some debris and finding Gon sitting on top of a dresser in the adjoining room. She sighed with relief as she snatched up the child and carried him back to Sharl, his face lighting up with relief as Katarina's purple visage fluttered around the corner with Gon in her arms.

Sharl smiled at Gon, but scolded him gently while the others collapsed to the ground, resting.

"I never thought finding one child could be so strenuous…" Sarah, who moments earlier was full of pep and enthusiasm, spoke with the same exhausted tone that the others had.

Katarina could only smile, saving her breath, and let her body relax for a brief respite before returning to Muse, Gon in tow.

Sharl smiled at the group, helping each of them to their feet, and they trekked back to Muse, who nearly fell out of bed sitting up to hug Gon when he returned. Her pale, sickly body had gained a glow that was almost like an improvement in health at his sight, and she uttered her words of admiration to the three who helped her husband.

"I really don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come along…I honestly can't bear the thought of losing him. You've restored my faith in people…" Muse said, drifting off as Sharl interjected, almost trying to avoid an impending anecdote.

"Well, it's getting late, and Muse needs rest," He said to them, with a friendly smile. "I'm sure you all can rest at Thomas' house, and be sure to stop by again." He herded them towards the door, not seeming impolite, and smiled as they walked away, taking their cue to leave.

"How…odd," Katarina muttered as she walked, contemplating his behavior.

"I know…he was so friendly before, but just then he acted like we should have left long before…" She walked up next to Sarah, joining in her conversation and thought instead of trailing behind.

Thomas, who had been ahead of them, turned back to speak. "Well, Sharl's an interesting man, and he and Muse have been through a lot. Sometimes it's best not to question someone's judgment…" Thomas continued walking, the group reaching his house moments later.

"You two can stay in Sarah's guest room, since we didn't arrange for Katarina to stay as well, and I'll be in the first room in the hallway. Don't hesitate to wake me if you need anything, alright?" Thomas said to the two, retreating to his quarters. Sarah and Katarina just smiled at each other and wandered into the room, somehow managing to make the small bed comfortable and spacious enough for the two of them. They both feel asleep within moments, sweet dreams and rest coming easily and freely.


End file.
